Ford ’s again Crown Victoria has one foot out the door, which has opened up the opportunity for Chrysler to steal away a few police car sales. Chrysler’s Dodge Charger and Magnum have actually served pretty well, but a new recall will keep both patrol cars off the beat for a little while.
Unlike their civilian counterparts, all police editions of the Charger and Magnum come equipped with column-mounted shifters. While this feature does give the coppers a little more room up front, it apparently caused some trouble during the manufacturing process.
Chrysler has recalled 20,000 of its 2006-2009 police vehicles due to a problem with the column-mounted shifter. Apparently the gear indicator on the dash didn’t always match up with what gear the officers were actually in, causing a safety issue for anyone in or around the cruiser. Dealers have been instructed to add a locking mechanism to the shift cable, which should solve the problem.
